The Baroque Hrzánů z Harasova Palace, located at the corner of Celetná and Kamzíková Streets, entered reconstruction at the end of 2023. The Pokoje 2023 exhibition thus offered a final opportunity to see the palace in its current state—additionally filled from floor to ceiling with young art. The 12th edition of Pokoje presented the work of students of visual disciplines from 13 universities across the Czech Republic, complemented by works by students from Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The well-established site-specific exhibition took place from 11 to 19 November and once again offered a substantial accompanying program reflecting contemporary social issues.
This year, no single overarching theme was assigned to the students; nevertheless, certain thematic lines recurring in artistic practice could be observed across the projects. A total of 49 projects were submitted to the open call, from which the organizers selected proposals representing thirteen Czech universities. An additional six rooms were allocated to students from Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland—from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, and the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica. In the end, more than thirty rooms and hidden corners throughout the palace were filled with site-specific installations, attracting over 5,000 visitors.
The Jury Awards were granted to students of the Technical University of Liberec for the project Tension; to students of UMPRUM in Prague for the project In the Belly Like in a Little Room; and to international students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica for the project Loneliness. The Audience Award was presented to students of the Faculty of Art and Design in Ústí nad Labem for the project Las Ustos.
Jury:
Darija Lukajnenko (Ukrainian artist and curator), Johana Lomová (art theorist), and Gabriela Kotíková (curator at Galerie Jelení).
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Pokoje 2023 took place with the financial support of the Visegrad Fund, Magistrátu hlavního města Prahy a městské části Praha 1.
The exhibition was held at Hrzánský Palace thanks to the support of the Stadler–Trier Foundation.
The 12th edition of the exhibition was held under the auspices of eight Czech universities:
Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague; Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen; Faculty of Art and Architecture, Technical University of Liberec; Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem; Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Ostrava; Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University in Zlín; as well as Prague’s UMPRUM (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design) and AVU (Academy of Fine Arts).
Admission:
Adults: 170 CZK
Students / pensioners: 110 CZK
Students of art schools: 90 CZK
Accompanying Programs:
The accompanying program of the exhibition was aimed at both the general public and professionals and once again covered a wide range of current topics and issues. The overarching theme of the accompanying program was Dialogue.
14 November, 18:30
Perspective of Change: Dialogue between Art Studio Leadership and Students (panel discussion)
Guests: Veronika Vlková (FAVU), Julius Reichel (AVU), Tereza Nešetřil Vejřík (UMPRUM Ombudswoman), and Petr Dub (AVU).
Moderator: Jiří Grüber.
16 November, 17:00
How Public Space Speaks to Us – urban studies lecture with Rozálie Kašparová
18 November, 15:00
Art and the City Center – guided walk with Marie Foltýnová
19 November, 16:00
Between Us – art workshop for children with Natálie Rajnišová
Guided tours: 13.11. 17:30 a 15.11. 17:30
